Jason Lewis’ dreamed were crushed when he was eliminated on the premiere of “Dancing with the Stars” Season 31.
Now, the 15 remaining contestants are coming back and ready to groove to Elvis Presley’s music in different dance styles.
Here’s a quick recap of what happened last week.
- Charli D’Amelio, a TikTok sensation, got the highest points — a 32 out of 40 — with her partner Mark Ballas, who choreographed the routine.
- Actor Wayne Brady and Witney Carson were right behind with 29 points.
- Gabby Windey of “The Bachelorette” with Val Chmerkovskiy earned 28 points, as did Shangela, the first drag queen on the show, with Gleb Savchenko, as I reported.
- Meanwhile, movie star Selma Blair also earned 28 points but her performance made many, including some of the judges, emotional.
- “Jersey Shore” star Vinny Guadagnino received the lowest scores, but “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Teresa Giudice landed in the bottom two.
How much do judges make on ‘Dancing with the Stars’?
Reports indicate a ballpark figure for how much judges on the dance competition show got paid per season in the early days — an estimated $250,000 per episode. Although, after Season 2, some judges were making $1.2 million, according to entertainment news site ReelRundown.
These numbers haven’t been confirmed by ABC or Disney+. This season’s returning judges are Len Goodman, Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inabe and Bruno Tonioli.
Who is Bruno Tonioli?
Born in Italy, Tonioli moved to London in 1975. He has worked as an actor and writer, appearing in films like “Ella Enchanted” and “What a Girl Wants.” His choreography has been featured in the shows, videos and tours of the likes of Tina Turner, Elton John and Freddie Mercury.
The 66-year-old has appeared as a judge on “Strictly Come Dancing,” U.K.’s version of the dance competition show, since its debut in 2004, but he recently made an exit when the pandemic hit.
“There is no animosity, it was a mutual decision with both of us saying, ‘Listen, this is not going to work like it used to,’” he said, per Deadline. “I just couldn’t do the flying any more. I don’t know how I survived that schedule. To be honest, it’s a miracle.”
He recently starred in the BBC documentary “West Side Stories — The Making of a Classic.”
What time does ‘Dancing with the Stars’ air?
Episode 2 of “Dancing with the Stars” will air on Disney+ on Monday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m. MDT. In the past, Disney has released content overnight and this will be its first live prime-time show.